1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shielded connector for mounting on a shielded wall of electrical equipment or to a terminal to be mounted to a shielded cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate an example of a shielded connector to be mounted to a terminal of a shielded cable, which was disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-245153. The connector housing 109 included in the shielded connecter 100 has a double structure comprising an inner housing 101 and an outer housing 102 formed in the shape of a cylinder of a synthetic resin being superimposed one on another, a connecting wall 103 partly connecting between peripheral surfaces of the inner housing 101 and the outer housing 102, a terminal fitting 104 received in the inner housing 101, and a shielding shell 105 formed in the cylindrical shape of a metal sheet inserted between the inner housing 101 and the outer housing 102. The shielding shell 105 serves to enclose and to shield the periphery of the terminal fitting 104, and a part of the outer housing 102 constitutes a cylindrical hood portion 107 opening toward the other corresponding part, to which the other corresponding connector 120 is fitted and locked by a locking arm 108 provided on the hood portion 107. The terminal fitting 104 is provided with a shielded cable D1 crimped thereon, and the shielding layer and the shielding shell 105 are conductively connected with respect to each other.
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an example of a shielded connector to be mounted on the shielded wall of electrical equipment, which is presented in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-78098. The shielded connector 110 also comprises an inner housing 111 and the outer housing 112 constructed of a synthetic resin partly connected via a connecting wall (not shown), and a metallic shielding shell 115 inserted therebetween to enclose the terminal fitting 114 received in the inner housing 111, wherein a part of the outer housing 112 constitutes a hood portion 116, and the other corresponding connector (not shown) is engaged with the locking hole 120 formed on the hood portion 116. The connector 110 is provided at the rear end of the outer housing 112 with a flange 117, which is screwed to the shielded wall 119 with the packing mounted on the flange 117 crushed by the shielded wall 119. The part of the flange 117 within the packing 118 is provided with a plurality of presser strips 115B extending sideward from the rear end portion of the shielding shell 115, the presser strips 115B being pressed against the shielded wall 119 to conductively connect the shielding shell 115 and the shielded wall 119.
The conventional shielded connectors 100 and 110 have a problem in that noises tend to leak through a slit (See 115A, FIG. 11) formed on the shielded shell corresponding to the connecting wall for connecting the inner housing and the outer housing, thus resulting in degradation of shielding property.
Since the shielded connector to be mounted on the shielded wall 119 of electrical equipment includes presser strips 115B on the flange 117, the flange 117 has to be significantly large in size correspondingly, thereby requiring a large mounting space on the shielded wall 119.
Since the flange 117 constitutes a part of the connector housing constructed of a synthetic resin, there is apprehension that the flange is deformed by heat and thus the screw that fix the flange 117 to the shielded wall 119 is loosened, thereby degrading the connection and waterproof property between the presser strips 115B and the shielded wall 119.
Accordingly, with the circumstanced described above in view, it is an object of the invention to provide a shielded connector that has superior shielding property, requires only a small mounting space when being mounted to electrical equipment, and has good resistance to water at the mounting portion.
The shielded connector according to a first aspect of the invention comprises a connector housing for accommodating a terminal fitting, a cylindrical hood portion provided on the connector housing for being fitted to the other corresponding connector, and locking means provided on the hood portion for preventing both of connectors from being detached, wherein the hood portion is constructed by mounting a cylindrically formed conductive member to the connector housing, and a shielding shell is constructed by enclosing the terminal fitting by the conductive member.
In this arrangement, since the cylindrical hood portion is constructed of a conductive material and thus the hood portion itself serves as a shielding shell, the terminal fitting may be enclosed without any clearance by the peripheral wall closed along the entire side surface of the conductive material, so that leaking of noises through the slit formed on the shielding shell may be avoided, thereby improving the shielding property.
A second aspect of the invention is the shielded connector as set forth in connection with the first aspect of the invention characterized in that the shielded wall provided on electrical equipment is formed with a mounting hole for mounting the connector therethrough, and the flange extending sideward from the conductive member is screwed against the shielded wall so that the conductive member and the shielded wall are conductively connected.
In this arrangement, since the flange extending from the conductive member constituting the shielding shell is fixed and conductively connected to the shielded wall, the space used for mounting on electrical equipment may be reduced in comparison with the conventional arrangement wherein the portion conductively connected to the shielded wall and the flange to be used for the purpose of fixing are provided independently.
A third aspect of the invention is the shielded connector as set forth in the first and second aspects of the invention, characterized in that the conductive member is constructed of metal.
In this arrangement, since the conductive member is constructed of metal, the strength and heat resistant property is improved, thereby preventing the deformation of the hood portion engaged with the other corresponding connector and the flange screwed onto the shielded wall. By providing a packing between the flange and the shielded wall, the packing is pressed against the shielded wall stably, thereby improving the waterproof property.
A fourth aspect of the invention is a shielded connector as set forth in any of the first to the third aspects, wherein a contact the middle portion of which is divided into a plurality of bands projecting sideward is fitted on the peripheral surface of the conductive member, and is resiliently in contact with the other corresponding shielding shell provided on the other corresponding connector.
In this arrangement, resilient force of the contact crashed between the conductive material as a shielding shell and the other corresponding shielding shell ensures the conductive connection between these shielding shells.
A fifth aspect of the invention is the shielded connector as set forth in any of the second to the fourth aspects of the invention, wherein the surface of the flange abutting against the shielded wall is formed with an annular groove near the inner edge thereof by pitting it in the direction away from the shielded wall, and the connector housing is provided with a inner flange projecting outward to be interposed between the inner wall of the annular groove and the shielded wall.
In this arrangement, the inner flange projecting outward from the connector housing is interposed between the shielded wall and the flange screwed onto the shielded wall to fix the connector housing onto the shielded wall together with the conductive member.
A sixth aspect of the invention is the shielded connector as set forth in any of the second to the fifth aspects of the invention, wherein the portion of the annular groove outside of the inner flange receives a packing that is interposed between the inner wall of the annular groove and the shielded wall in intimate contact therewith, and the packing is provide with a stopper projecting inwardly therefrom for being interposed between the inner flange and the inner wall of the annular groove.
In this arrangement, the stopper projecting inwardly from the packing is interposed between the inner flange and the inner wall of the annular groove to prevent the packing from being detached from the annular groove of the flange, thereby facilitating the operation to mount the shielded connector to the shielded wall.